Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has apologised to his teammates and the club’s supporters after receiving a red card during Saturday’s 1-0 LaLiga victory over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Brazilian winger now faces uncertainty over a potential suspension, with the disciplinary committee set to determine whether he will be available for Real Madrid’s highly anticipated clash against rivals Barcelona at Camp Nou on October 25.

Vinicius believed he had scored Real Madrid’s second goal, but the effort was ruled out following a VAR review. The review determined that he should be sent off for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair during the build-up to the goal.

Introduced in the 52nd minute, Vinicius was dismissed just 20 minutes later. Following the match, he took to social media to express his regret, writing: “Sorry to the team and the fans.”

Under Spanish Football Federation rules, pulling an opponent’s hair is classified as violent conduct.

Article 130 stipulates a suspension of one to three matches for violent conduct that does not result in injury to an opponent.

Real Madrid’s next three LaLiga fixtures are against Sevilla, Barcelona and Racing Santander. For the 26-year-old Brazil international, missing the El Clasico showdown against Barcelona would be a significant setback, although the final decision will depend on the disciplinary committee’s ruling.